Barriers, barriers and MORE barriers

Today during clinic we learned to get our unit ready for the day and how to take it down and close the unit up. We barrier everything. If you touch it or think you might touch it you have to place a barrier. We have sticky tape, headrest covers, tube covers, and tray covers. I never knew there could be so many different types of barriers. It's way different from private practice!

I was able to have my first patient in my chair today. She was very cooperative and let me spray water into her mouth until my heart was content. I was also able to use the Blue Boa on her. It was cool to see how it works on a real patient. She said it was really comfortable. I was able to be the patient later in clinic as well. I sat there while I got water sprayed into my mouth and my cheeks sucked. I tried out the Blue Boa as well, and I really liked it. I barely noticed it was there and it kept me from feeling like I was drowning. 

Clinic seems to be going faster now and we are starting to learn more. Before I know it I'm going to be seeing my first real patient! It still seems so far away but I'm sure in a couple of weeks I'm going to be wishing we were back to the monotony of placing barriers, putting on and taking of mask, goggles and gloves. So I guess I better enjoy it while it lasts.

Wash, Mask, Eye wear, Wash, Glove

Initial wash, mask, eye wear, 3-step wash, glove. This was drilled into my head today during clinic. We learned our PPE (Personal Protective Equipment) PE.It was a little confusing at first to make sure you get everything put on in the right order and placed correctly, but after 100 times of going over it I'm pretty sure I have it down pat!

We also had Ann Arrington come in as a guest speaker to show us how to use the Blue Boa. I think it is a very convenient tool to have! I have watched the hygienists in private practice try to keep their patients from drowning when they use the ultrasonic and it never works very well. The Blue Boa is comfortable for the patient and very easy to use. I plan on telling the hygienists where I work about it, I'm sure they will LOVE it!

We also got to use our typodont today and practice the air/water syringe. It is a little tricky at times to not have the water spray out of the mouth and go all over the place. I just need to practice more on positioning my A/W syringe and placing the suction.

It was another good day in clinic. I was able to pass off my first PE and it's nice to get that under the rug. Now I can focus on the other heaps and loads of studying I have. But I'm still smiling and excited! :)

Ready or Not

Ready or not the first day of clinic came and went. After thousands of dollars spent, weeks of stress, and months of waiting it finally came. As nerve raking as it is to think that for the next two years I will be spending the majority of my time in someone else's mouth, learning about the mouth or studying the mouth, I am excited to finally be taking classes that I'm interested in! I just need to remember to keep on breathing and I'll make it through these next years.

This morning when I woke up I was a little skeptical about how today would go. I had to work in the morning and then clinic started today at 12:20. The whole morning I was nervous. I was unsure of the unknown. I didn't know what to expect or how everything would pan out. I was pretty sure I would get to clinic and be completely overwhelmed and start having a breakdown in clinic! But much to my surprise I did not start crying or freaking out in clinic. It went a lot better than I was anticipating. We became oriented to the clinic and our pod. We learned our first PE (how to work Eaglesoft), Taleval, and watched a movie on Universal Precautions.

Today was great to because it got rid of the first day jitters and got me even more excited for the program. It will be a great two years! I'm definitely excited to dive head first into the program! Good luck to my classmates as well because it will be a great, hard, fun, and exciting two years!